Vehicle-gear.



F. E. WILUOX.

. VEHICLE GEAR. v 7 APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1909. RENEWED SEPT. 30, 1910.

Patented Dec. 6,1910.

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FRANK E. WILCOX, F MECHANICSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

VEHICLE-GEAR.

Application filed May 15, 1909, Serial No. 496,177.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. VVILoox, a citizen of the United States, residing at lllechanicsburg, in the county of Cumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Gears; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to vehicle gears, and

- especially to such as are provided with fifth over, are much stronger.

wheel members and a reach or reaches connected at the front end or ends with a reach iron or reach irons, which latter is or are located below the fifth wheel members or top member. Heretofore the top fifth wheel member has been secured to the reach irons by two lugs of considerable length made integral with the said top member and inclined downwardly and perforated at the ends to receive bolts passed through the holes in the lugs, the reach irons and the reaches. The difficulty and expense connected with the forging of these relatively long lugs integral with the top fifth wheel member is considerable, and in assembling the gear and fitting the lugs to the reach irons they are liable to become broken.

The object of my invention is to eliminate these relatively long lugs and substitute therefor short perforated lugs which can be easily and cheaply forged integral with the top fifth wheel member and which, more- To use the short lugs it becomes necessary to change the construction of the reach irons and I have made such changes by adding to each reach iron an integral perforated spool or boss extending some distance above the top surface of a reach iron and so located that the lug will engage its top surface, and the hole therein be in line with the hole in the lug to receive a bolt.

With the above explanation my invention consists in certain novelties of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates an example of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

Renewed September 30, 1910. Serial No. 584,761.

mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principle.

Figure l is a perspective View of the main parts of the vehicle gear as they appear when assembled, and showing my improvement in connection therewith. Fig. 2 shows the reach irons abstracted from the other parts of the gear.

Referring to the figures, the numeral 1 designates the axle; 2, the axle bed; 3, the lower member of the fifth wheel secured to -the axle and bed; 4, the head block; 5, the

head block plate; 6, the top fifth wheel member secured to the head block and plate; 7 7, short perforated lugs at the rear edge of the top fifth wheel member and forged integral therewith; 8, 8, the reach irons; 9, 9, the perforated spools or bosses upon the top surfaces of the reach irons and forged integral therewith; 10, 10, the reaches; 11, 11, perforated straps or irons which form with the perforated free ends of the reach irons sockets for the ends of the reaches; 12, 12-, bolts passed through the lugs 7, 7, the spools or bosses 9, 9, the reach irons, the reaches, and straps; and 13, 13 are nuts upon the ends of the bolts.

It will be observed that in the example illustrated the lower fifth wheel member is located directly beneath the top member and that its rear edge is directly in front of the spools or bosses upon the reach irons.

My improvement reduces the first cost of manufacture, facilitates the assembling of the parts, and secures a very strong union of the arts when assembled.

O viously, the invention can be embodied in connection with a gear having a single reach iron and reach.

What I claim is:

l. The combination in a vehicle gear having a top fifth wheel member provided with perforated lugs at its edge, of reach irons, each having an integral raised and m perforated spool or boss with the perforation in line with the perforation in a lug when the parts are assembled, and bolts for uniting the lugs and the spools or bosses.

2. The combination in a vehicle gear having a top fifth wheel member provided with perforated lugs at its edge, of reach irons, each having an integral and perforated spool or boss with the perforation in line with the perforation in a lug when the parts are assembled, a perforated socket at the end of each reach iron, a perforated reach in each socket, and bolts passed through each 10 integral perforated lug, a reach iron with an integral and perforated spool or boss at its top surface, and a bolt for holding the lug in contact with the spool or boss.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, n the presence of two WltllBSSQS.

FRANK E. WILCOX.

Witnesses JAS. L. YOUNG, M. E. ANDERSON. 

